what is the secret to applying greasless to a new wheel!?

I was afraid that what I saw in another thread was going to happen to me and it did!
I tried slower speed to higher speed, applyng gentle pressure to applying it firm and quick.
I used glu-tite on one wheel and went naked on the second. There was a slight difference because the untreated one grabbed the greaseless and it pulled more thread out of the wheel and made it very uneven.
So I trimmed the wild fibers and tried reapplying a half dozen times but just wasted more compound.
It seems to me the material is too rough and dry so it repels the compound
instead of absorbing it.
The glu-tite seems to be on the right track but has almost the same effect as the greaseless so I seem to be missing a step here.
Can anyone shed some light on loading a fresh wheel?
HELP!!

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Originally Posted by kevin007

I was afraid that what I saw in another thread was going to happen to me and it did!
I tried slower speed to higher speed, applyng gentle pressure to applying it firm and quick.
I used glu-tite on one wheel and went naked on the second. There was a slight difference because the untreated one grabbed the greaseless and it pulled more thread out of the wheel and made it very uneven.
So I trimmed the wild fibers and tried reapplying a half dozen times but just wasted more compound.
It seems to me the material is too rough and dry so it repels the compound
instead of absorbing it.
The glu-tite seems to be on the right track but has almost the same effect as the greaseless so I seem to be missing a step here.
Can anyone shed some light on loading a fresh wheel?
HELP!!

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Here's my method: WARNING! IT IS MESSY (but then, with greaseless, it always is)

First of all, I give my buff wheel a HEAVY raking, which shoots cotton everywhere, then I give it a hair cut... A buzz cut actually, so it's all one short, uniform surface (probably about a half inch long)

From there, I get my greaseless out of the fridge. With the buffer running, I VERY gently push the greaseless against the wheel... Watch to see the color appear on the wheel, that means the tip of the greaseless is melting... I move the greaseless bar side to side to get an even coverage on the BAR (of melted material) then I push the greaseless into the wheel hard.. Hard enough to overpower the motor (I know this is bad for it, but I don't do it for more than a second or two)

My biggest problem is that, as the greaseless melts onto the wheel, it's spinning fast enough that it throws greaseless off, and creates an uneven, cracked surface... By doing it my way, and slowing the wheels speed with the greaseless, the pressure of the bar, and the slower moving wheel create a smooth, even surface. As soon as the bar starts to slow down and get a coat (about 2-3 seconds) turn the buffer off, then manually rotate the wheels AGAINST THE CAVITY in the bar... That way it smooths everything out even more.

I'll try to make a video, but that's how I do it.

Also, the more you use/load the wheel, the smoother it will get.

Good Luck!

I really, really wouldn't recommend 'overloading' the buffer to get greaseless on it; this is very VERY bad for the motor and will be impossible-- and maybe kill you trying-- on anything but the smallest size or two of low-rpm buffers.

As far as applying, I've not worried too much about it being perfectly even, or even being particularly thick on the wheel. They aren't kidding when they say that a little bit does it... Start the buffer, turn it off, use the glu-tight as a brake. Start the buffer, turn it off, use the greaseless as a brake. You can repeat the second part a couple times, if you want, but it will work, IME, with just once.

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Originally Posted by BKratchmer

I really, really wouldn't recommend 'overloading' the buffer to get greaseless on it; this is very VERY bad for the motor and will be impossible-- and maybe kill you trying-- on anything but the smallest size or two of low-rpm buffers..

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I use 6 inch wheels on an 1800 RPM baldor buffer. No problems so far, and no dangerous outcomes yet.

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Originally Posted by ShavedZombie

I use 6 inch wheels on an 1800 RPM baldor buffer. No problems so far, and no dangerous outcomes yet.

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Yes, at 1/4hp. And just because it hasn't caused a problem yet doesn't mean it isn't a risky behavior.

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Originally Posted by BKratchmer

Yes, at 1/4hp. And just because it hasn't caused a problem yet doesn't mean it isn't a risky behavior.

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If I'm not mistaken, using a straight razor is, in and of itself, risky behavior... this forum is here to share it's input on that risky behavior and to tell people the dangers of that behavior and how to handle them... Not to say "that's dangerous, get a Mach 3."

While what I do may be dangerous too, that doesn't mean it's a bad practice, it just means that you have to be cautious... And, on that note, using buffers on straight razors is ALSO dangerous... So be cautious.

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Originally Posted by ShavedZombie

If I'm not mistaken, using a straight razor is, in and of itself, risky behavior... this forum is here to share it's input on that risky behavior and to tell people the dangers of that behavior and how to handle them... Not to say "that's dangerous, get a Mach 3."

While what I do may be dangerous too, that doesn't mean it's a bad practice, it just means that you have to be cautious... And, on that note, using buffers on straight razors is ALSO dangerous... So be cautious.

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This is way beyond illogical. There is a huge difference between the risk of using a straight razor and the risk of doing stupid things with power tools.

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Originally Posted by Utopian

This is way beyond illogical. There is a huge difference between the risk of using a straight razor and the risk of doing stupid things with power tools.

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My point was that the fact that something isn't the safest method doesn't make it a reprehensible method.

And I don't really consider it a stupid method if it has worked excellently for the last 3 or 4 months that I've been doing it.

And I'm not suggesting that you turn on a motor, then hold the wheels until the entire motor stops. I'm just saying that you can use the bar to control the speed enough to keep it from shooting greaseless everywhere, and that it is fairly safe to do in very small time frames.

I'm sure I'm not the only one on this site who has methods that differ from the norm, or could be considered dangerous, and yet still produce excellent results.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ShavedZombie

My point was that the fact that something isn't the safest method doesn't make it a reprehensible method.

And I don't really consider it a stupid method if it has worked excellently for the last 3 or 4 months that I've been doing it.

And I'm not suggesting that you turn on a motor, then hold the wheels until the entire motor stops. I'm just saying that you can use the bar to control the speed enough to keep it from shooting greaseless everywhere, and that it is fairly safe to do in very small time frames.

I'm sure I'm not the only one on this site who has methods that differ from the norm, or could be considered dangerous, and yet still produce excellent results.

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My point, having grown up on a farm and having had classmates killed by farm equipment, is that safety is paramount when working with things that spin.

No, what you are recommending here is not as dangerous as something you previously described, but putting enough pressure on the motor to significantly slow it down probably is not a good idea. If you want to do it to your buffer, that's fine.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Utopian

My point, having grown up on a farm and having had classmates killed by farm equipment, is that safety is paramount when working with things that spin.

No, what you are recommending here is not as dangerous as something you previously described, but putting enough pressure on the motor to significantly slow it down probably is not a good idea. If you want to do it to your buffer, that's fine.

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I still don't really find significant amounts of danger in either of those practices, as long as pressure is kept to a minimum. However, I will bow to your experience. For clarification: The trick with the Greaseless method is to come beneath the wheel, so that there isn't any danger to you, at worst a burnt out motor that can be replaced, and the likelihood of burning it out with this low of pressure is minimal. The wheel/greaseless can't create a jam, because the greaseless is pointed in the direction of the buffers spin, and any obstructions would just cause the bar to bounce away from the buffer. With the greaseless, as the bar melts, it naturally slows the wheel with minimal pressure, then you just turn the buffer off as it starts to slow.

But, whatever, I've stated my method, I'll depart now.

Edit: For what it's worth, I found this method on the Caswell forum.. I will see if I can find the thread... the reason I tried it was because after it was posted, a few other responses came along to the extent of "I do this too" or "works well for me". So I tried it.. And it did work for me.

EDIT: I couldn't find the exact thread, but here's another one with the same information I found: http://forum.caswellplating.com/meta...ease-help.html (Specifically posts 8 and 9)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ShavedZombie

Here's my method: WARNING! IT IS MESSY (but then, with greaseless, it always is)

First of all, I give my buff wheel a HEAVY raking, which shoots cotton everywhere, then I give it a hair cut... A buzz cut actually, so it's all one short, uniform surface (probably about a half inch long)

From there, I get my greaseless out of the fridge. With the buffer running, I VERY gently push the greaseless against the wheel... Watch to see the color appear on the wheel, that means the tip of the greaseless is melting... I move the greaseless bar side to side to get an even coverage on the BAR (of melted material) then I push the greaseless into the wheel hard.. Hard enough to overpower the motor (I know this is bad for it, but I don't do it for more than a second or two)

My biggest problem is that, as the greaseless melts onto the wheel, it's spinning fast enough that it throws greaseless off, and creates an uneven, cracked surface... By doing it my way, and slowing the wheels speed with the greaseless, the pressure of the bar, and the slower moving wheel create a smooth, even surface. As soon as the bar starts to slow down and get a coat (about 2-3 seconds) turn the buffer off, then manually rotate the wheels AGAINST THE CAVITY in the bar... That way it smooths everything out even more.

I'll try to make a video, but that's how I do it.

Also, the more you use/load the wheel, the smoother it will get.

Good Luck!

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I have the same Baldor, and I see no reason to do it like that. The buffer has an on/off switch, and it's there to be used. With the motor off, put the compound onto the wheel. Use a bit of pressure (you'll have to try to see how much works). Flip the switch on and off. You'll have to play with the on duration and the off duration to keep the wheel moving at the speed you want. If you do it right, the wheel will spin slowly, the compound will load up evenly, no compound will get thrown off, and you don't have to stall the motor - greaselesse IS NOT always messy; it need not be. You're working at low speeds, so it's safe; if the bar grabs, drop it. If the motor spins too fast, shut it off (one hand will always be on the off switch).

If you want to slow a motor or stall it, it makes much more sense to start with the motor off and the compound against the wheel as opposed to running the wheel full speed and then jamming something up against it. But you don't need to stall the motor anyway.

Always wear safety glasses. A face shield will help. A hat keeps it out of your hair. Stand out of the line of the wheel, so you don't throw compound on yourself if it does get thrown off the wheel, and don't stand under the wheel in case you do drop the compound (I never have, but I guess it's possible).

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Originally Posted by holli4pirating

I have the same Baldor, and I see no reason to do it like that. The buffer has an on/off switch, and it's there to be used. With the motor off, put the compound onto the wheel. Use a bit of pressure (you'll have to try to see how much works). Flip the switch on and off. You'll have to play with the on duration and the off duration to keep the wheel moving at the speed you want. If you do it right, the wheel will spin slowly, the compound will load up evenly, no compound will get thrown off, and you don't have to stall the motor - greaselesse IS NOT always messy; it need not be. You're working at low speeds, so it's safe; if the bar grabs, drop it. If the motor spins too fast, shut it off (one hand will always be on the off switch).

If you want to slow a motor or stall it, it makes much more sense to start with the motor off and the compound against the wheel as opposed to running the wheel full speed and then jamming something up against it. But you don't need to stall the motor anyway.

Always wear safety glasses. A face shield will help. A hat keeps it out of your hair. Stand out of the line of the wheel, so you don't throw compound on yourself if it does get thrown off the wheel, and don't stand under the wheel in case you do drop the compound (I never have, but I guess it's possible).

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I had tried jockying the switch like that, and could never get a good coverage doing that... Then it blew my circuit breaker. Not sure how or why, but it did.

Although the eyeshield/facemask is a good idea. I wear safety goggles and a respirator, and I'm looking into getting a clear mask from my grandfather (it's not necessary to have a full facemask, but it would be helpful.)

And this stuff is murder on long hair >.<

I'll give jockeying the switch another try, but so far my method works fine... although I do like the starting with the bar against rather than ramming it... I'll give that a go too.

Thanks, Dylan... Again :p

Yea, I forgot about the respirator. I run my buffer in my basement, which is sealed up. I don't go down there without a respirator anymore.

I don't know much about electric stuff, but I would guess the buffer draws the most current when it's starting up, because it's doing the most work while accelerating. That may be why it blew your breaker. That actually suggests to me that you should look into your wiring if you're gonna run power tools on that circuit.

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Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Yea, I forgot about the respirator. I run my buffer in my basement, which is sealed up. I don't go down there without a respirator anymore.

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To follow up on this: It's worth getting one of the 18-30 dollar ones at home depot with the rubber mouth/nose cover, and the replaceable "cannisters"... There's a lot of metal dust and particles, not to mention tons of fabric from raking the wheels... Those little "swine flu" masks don't quite cut it in my mind.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Yea, I forgot about the respirator. I run my buffer in my basement, which is sealed up. I don't go down there without a respirator anymore.

I don't know much about electric stuff, but I would guess the buffer draws the most current when it's starting up, because it's doing the most work while accelerating. That may be why it blew your breaker. That actually suggests to me that you should look into your wiring if you're gonna run power tools on that circuit.

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Well, I haven't had any problems since adopting the new method, but I'll mention it to my father... Worth being safe.

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